Locals seek secession through state petition

Published: Monday, November 12, 2012 at 4:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, November 12, 2012 at 4:30 p.m.

More than 70 Davidson County residents have signed a petition that asks the Obama Administration to allow North Carolina to secede from the United States.

Facts

Find the petition

To access the petition, go to petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/peacefully-grant-state-north-carolina-withdraw-united-states-and-create-its-own-new-government/rx1KDYTs#thank-you=p

A Pittsboro resident created the petition last week, asking the federal government to "peacefully grant the state of North Carolina to withdraw from the United States and create its own, new government." The petition has about 6,000 total signatures as of Monday afternoon.

It is one of more than a dozen similar petitions that have been created in different states on the White House website. Part of the "We the People" program that launched last year, the site allows anyone at least 13 years of age to create or sign a petition. The White House pledged to respond to any petition that receives 25,000 or more signatures within 30 days.

Most of the states with petitions are also those whose majority supported Mitt Romney in the presidential election last week; however, even some states that supported President Barack Obama have signed on. So far, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas are just some of the states that have started a petition.

The North Carolina petition doesn't address any specific reasons for wanting to secede. However, it does quote from the Declaration of Independence.

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation," according to the petition.

It goes on to read, "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government."

Jennifer Perryman and her husband, Dean, of Silver Valley, both signed the petition.

"Obama will never be my family's president," Perryman said. "So I guess for the next four years, we don't have one."

Perryman said she does not agree with anything Obama has done in the past four years.

"I have lost respect for our nation since Obama took office," Perryman said. "He should not be there. I signed the petition because I would rather be on our own than have a president like Obama."

Bill Bright of Davidson County said the idea of the petition is simply "stupid."

"All military bases would have to leave, (there would be) no federal funding at all for schools, medical, (or) food programs, just to mention a few," Bright said. "If you do not like our country, try North Korea."

According to article one, section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, which is not mentioned in the North Carolina petition, states are prohibited from entering into any treaties, alliances or confederations. The article does not mention "secession" specifically.

North Carolina seceded from the American Union on May 20, 1861. It was one of 11 states to secede during the American Civil War era.

To access the petition, go to petitions.whitehouse.gov and search "North Carolina and government."

Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com.

<p>More than 70 Davidson County residents have signed a petition that asks the Obama Administration to allow North Carolina to secede from the United States.</p><p>A Pittsboro resident created the petition last week, asking the federal government to "peacefully grant the state of North Carolina to withdraw from the United States and create its own, new government." The petition has about 6,000 total signatures as of Monday afternoon.</p><p>It is one of more than a dozen similar petitions that have been created in different states on the White House website. Part of the "We the People" program that launched last year, the site allows anyone at least 13 years of age to create or sign a petition. The White House pledged to respond to any petition that receives 25,000 or more signatures within 30 days.</p><p>Most of the states with petitions are also those whose majority supported Mitt Romney in the presidential election last week; however, even some states that supported President Barack Obama have signed on. So far, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas are just some of the states that have started a petition.</p><p>The North Carolina petition doesn't address any specific reasons for wanting to secede. However, it does quote from the Declaration of Independence.</p><p>"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation," according to the petition. </p><p>It goes on to read, "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government."</p><p>Jennifer Perryman and her husband, Dean, of Silver Valley, both signed the petition.</p><p>"Obama will never be my family's president," Perryman said. "So I guess for the next four years, we don't have one."</p><p>Perryman said she does not agree with anything Obama has done in the past four years.</p><p>"I have lost respect for our nation since Obama took office," Perryman said. "He should not be there. I signed the petition because I would rather be on our own than have a president like Obama."</p><p>Bill Bright of Davidson County said the idea of the petition is simply "stupid."</p><p>"All military bases would have to leave, (there would be) no federal funding at all for schools, medical, (or) food programs, just to mention a few," Bright said. "If you do not like our country, try North Korea."</p><p>According to article one, section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, which is not mentioned in the North Carolina petition, states are prohibited from entering into any treaties, alliances or confederations. The article does not mention "secession" specifically.</p><p>North Carolina seceded from the American Union on May 20, 1861. It was one of 11 states to secede during the American Civil War era.</p><p>To access the petition, go to petitions.whitehouse.gov and search "North Carolina and government."</p><p>Nash Dunn can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at nash.dunn@the-dispatch.com.</p>